The social application TikTok, wildly popular among adolescents and teens, features a school bathroom challenge that asks students to vandalize and steal items from school bathrooms.
Dubbed the “devious lick” challenge, students are inspired to steal common items, such as soap dispensers, from school bathrooms. Council Rock School District in Newtown, Pennsylvania confirmed to parents that this has happened in district schools. At Hatboro-Horsham School District, students have ripped signs off the walls and stolen soap dispensers.
Popular videos include students pouring paint on toilets, smashing toilet paper dispensers and one student cutting the hair of other students in the bathroom.
While it may be just a social media application, the students who take part in this TikTok challenge may be disciplined by their school. Schools are sending out letters to parents warning of “devious lick” and the discipline that is likely to follow vandalism and theft of school property, including calls to the police. There are schools that have also closed bathrooms in response.
We recommend that schools inform families of this matter and the potential consequences of such conduct. We also advise that schools ensure that their staff are up to date on the potential issues that can arise. It is important to review safety protocols for teachers or staff entering bathrooms while students are on campus. We would like schools to avoid closing bathrooms at all costs unless there is damage that prevents their appropriate and safe usage.
The disciplinary issues that surround school vandalism and theft will likely be a challenge for school districts. Our legal team at MacMain Leinhauser advises and counsels schools regarding all types of legal issues. Call Brian Leinhauser at 484-318-7802 or complete our online form to get started. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.